HOW CANADIANS TACKLE MOVING TASKS IN MINUTES:

Can you really overcome moving tasks in a few minutes? Yes, if you know the right tips and tricks! The hard part of finding a decent new place is done, and now all you need to do is decide how to unload the 700 boxes lying around. Easy, right? Don’t fret! There are plenty of things you can do to make life easier.

BE ORGANIZED

The best way to stay organized is by making sure to throw away or to donate unused or unnecessary items from your closet. This way you will have less to pack and unload. Another great tip is to organize all your belongings by category. For example, spend an entire day cleaning out your closet and sort out all your clothes into one box with labels. Continue this process for important paperwork, books, shoes, etc. This can make the packing and unloading experience much faster and more efficient.

GET QUOTES

The first step of moving is trying to estimate the price associated with it. This can be done if you have a series of costs in your mind. Local movers usually charge by the hour; hence it is important to know about the distance between your old place and new place.

Secondly, another important factor which impacts the cost of your move is the amount of stuff you have. Local movers usually have a method of calculation which includes the weight of the objects they have to carry.

It’s no secret that transportation costs make up a large proportion of your moving costs. Every mover has different rates for different distances. You can obtain quotes from certain online websites where the moving experience is tailored to your needs. On these networks, the rates are completely transparent which means that there are no hidden costs or extra charges.

LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY

Rather than going from one place to another to notify every single company about your address changing, it’s better to do it with the help of technology. Through a few moving apps, it’s easier to change your address on multiple services such as cable, internet, etc. This can be done in a matter of minutes.

Moreover, you can update your insurance providers such as health insurance, dental insurance, etc. through your phone in order to save time. Home or renter’s insurance must also be updated to let them know to update your policy to reflect your new living situation.

Another way to make the most of new technology is by installing security systems such as coded alarm systems and security cameras. These can be purchased and installed to remain safe in your new home without going through the hassle of getting multiple locks. These security systems can act as an added layer of protection of your peace of mind.

TAKING APPOINTMENTS

Another way to ensure that moving tasks are all done is by making appointments with certain services prior to your moving date. For example, if you’ve recently cleared out your closet and cabinets, or have daily household junk, you can book an appointment with junk removal companies online.

Moreover, you can also take the initiative to hire professionals that can paint your new house very quickly. This can take out the hassle of painting yourself while making sure not to get your furniture or new floor dirty. This too can be done through painting companies online where they handle the task for you.

Along with this, you can also ensure that your big cleaning day has been taken care of in the beginning. There are certain house detailing services, which offer power washing, interior, and exterior window washing, etc. These services use eco-friendly products by using biodegradable solutions to clean windows and gutters.

CONCLUSION

Moving has the longest ‘to-do’ list possible; however, by following these simple steps and taking advantage of moving-related services, it can make your experience much simpler and less time-consuming.

How to Dispose of Hazardous Materials Before Moving

Hazardous materials like flammable liquids, car batteries, and pesticides pose a safety hazard and a risk of damaging your belongings, so Weleski can’t move them. It’s best to make a plan for them in advance of your moving date. Follow this guide to learn how to dispose of hazardous materials properly before moving.

What Are Hazardous Materials?

Hazardous materials can’t be safely disposed of in the trash like normal waste, and should never be burned. To prevent harm to the environment or other people, they must be disposed of using specific protocols. The hazardous or flammable materials Weleski can’t transport include:

• Aerosols
• Ammunition and loaded guns
• Batteries
• Charcoal, lighter fluid, and matches
• Fire extinguishers
• Gasoline
• Liquid bleach
• Nail polish and nail polish remover
• Paint and paint thinner
• Pesticides
• Propane tanks
• Weed killer

For a full list of hazardous materials Weleski can’t transport, visit AtlasVanLines.com.

How to Dispose of Hazardous Waste in Cleveland

Household hazardous waste like pesticides, flammables, and automotive fluids are collected by Cuyahoga County city service departments. Cleveland residents can drop off hazardous waste (excluding latex paint) on the first Friday of every month at the Division of Waste Collection Garage from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

How to Dispose of Hazardous Waste in Pittsburgh

Residents of Allegheny County can drop off their household hazardous waste at their nearest collection point on specific dates. The Department of Environmental Protection lists locations, dates, and contact information for Pittsburgh hazardous waste drop-off sites on its website. Not all locations accept all kinds of items, so call ahead and ask first.

Not sure how to safely dispose of a specific item? Or, do you need to find out how to dispose of a large quantity of hazardous waste? Contact Weleski Transfer and we’ll help you find the answers.

Stay Organized During your Move

When you’re getting ready to move, having a plan of action will help you keep your sanity. There are a ton of things that you’ll need to keep in mind from new addresses to items you need to move. We’ve been involved in the moving industry for years now, and here’s a few tips we’ve got to stay organized during your move.

Color Code your Boxes

Use colored markers or tape and designate one color for each room. This will allow you to easily keep all your stuff together so you don’t end up with the toaster in the bathroom or your kids stuffed animals in the basement.

Keep an Inventory List Handy

Make sure that you know what all you’re moving, and print out a list of your inventory so you have it handy. This will be extremely useful to keep track of all your boxes, and ensure that everything makes it to the final destination.

Keep Phone Numbers and Addresses Close

Be sure to save all the important numbers of the folks that will be helping you move. Provide them all with the address on paper so that they have a tangible reference during the move. Small map print outs can also come in very handy from Google or Mapquest.

Find out more about all of our moving resources by delving deeper into our website. If you need help with your move, we can put you in contact with several local movers and provide you with quotes from each. Stay organized, and your move will go quickly and easily.

How to change voter registration after moving

After completing a successful house move, you’ll still have a long list of essential things to do – from tackling unpacking to changing your address, registering your car, finding new health care providers for your family, finding a good school for your children, and so on.

One such major post-move task that you may forget about is to change your voter registration after the move. Keep in mind that you should re-register or change your voter registration information anytime you’ve changed your name or you’ve moved permanently. It’s simple: when you move, your address changes too, and by law, you’re not permitted to vote in more than one place.

Read on to learn how to update voter registration after moving – a necessary step to ensuring that you won’t find out, all of a sudden, that you’re ineligible to vote when you make your way to the polls at Election Day.

WHEN to re-register or change your voter registration information
Unless you no longer wish to be a voter – in which case you’ll need to cancel your voter registration, you’ll need to update your voter registration when you move.

It’s important to understand that you can’t vote in more than one place, meaning that when you register to vote in a new location, you’ll also need to provide your previous address so that your new election office can inform your old election office to cancel your voter registration with them.

You just moved home, are you still registered to vote? It depends. Now, if you’ve moved within the same county, then you’re required to fill in a new voter registration form in order to update your registration address.

On the other hand, if you’ve moved to a new county OR relocated to a new state, then you must re-register to vote in your new city or town. That is true unless you’ve moved to North Dakota – the only U.S. state that does NOT require citizens to register when they want to become eligible voters.

To check your voter registration, visit Vote.org (Are You Registered to Vote?) to verify your voter registration online.


HOW SOON to update your voter registration after the move
As you can imagine, there are voter registration deadlines and the worst part is that those deadlines are different for each state. In any case, you’ll need to know how much time you’ve got to take care of this task – should you do it right away or can you afford to postpone it a few weeks until you’ve finished with the most pressing tasks in your post-move to-do list?

In most states, the voter registration deadline varies between two and four weeks before an election – federal, state, and local elections, as well as primary, general, and special elections. However, some states do allow for same-day voter registration. As mentioned earlier, you shouldn’t worry about your voter registration status if you’ve just moved to North Dakota.

To find out the Election Dates and Deadlines in the state you just moved to, visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and plan accordingly.

HOW to register to vote after a move
You can choose between 3 ways to change your voter registration after moving: in person, via snail mail or online. And depending on the state you just moved to, you may have all three options to register to vote available to you, or you may have only some of them.

So, make sure you’ve included the task of changing voter registration in your post-relocation checklist. Here’s how to do it:

Option 1. Register to vote IN PERSON
If you have enough time, visit your local election office in person and fill out a voter registration application form. Some states will also allow you to update your voter registration information at other public facilities such as the DMV offices, recruitment centers of the U.S. Army, or state or county public assistance offices.

Visit this page to find the state and local election offices where you can complete your in-person voter registration.

Option 2. Register to vote via MAIL
Another way to register to vote after moving to another state is to do it by snail mail. To do so, you’ll need to fill out the National Mail Voter Registration Form. You can download the Form in 9 other languages besides English: Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Hindi, Bengali, and Khmer.

How you fill out that form is up to you: you can print it out first and then fill in the required information by hand, OR you can complete it on-screen and then print it out. The important thing is to follow the state-specific instructions on page 3 of the Form.

Once you’ve filled out the form, sign your name whenever indicated and mail it to your state and local election office where it will be duly processed. When mailing the form, make sure the envelope has the proper amount of postage in order to reach its destination.

Option 3. Register to vote ONLINE
Without a doubt, the easiest and most convenient way to change your voter registration information after moving is to do it ONLINE.

Unfortunately, not all states offer online voter registration yet. At the moment, a total of 37 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia, offer you the chance to register to vote online. To check whether your state is one of the states with online voter registration, visit the Online Registration Page of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

Updating voter registration online is basically the same process as filling out a paper application and mailing it to your state and local election office for processing. The only difference is that you, as a voter, fill out that form electronically, and then that paperless form is reviewed and if confirmed to be a valid request, is then sent to the corresponding election officials.

Visit the Can I Vote page to begin your online voter registration process.

It’s interesting to note that the state of Arizona is the innovator in paperless voter registration – it implemented its registration system back in 2002.

Regardless of which of the three voter registration methods you’ve chosen, you will be asked to present a valid ID that confirms that you are a resident of that state. Each state requires different voter IDs so it’s good to be prepared. Check the voter ID requirements of your state on the Vote.org’s page Voter ID Laws.

Keep in mind that it’ll take a few weeks for your voter registration information to be processed. Then, it’ll be another 5-7 weeks before you receive your voter registration card in the mail.

What To Expect & What Not To Do When Movers Pack For You

Packers are generally highly experienced employees of a moving company. They have years of experience in packing household goods; they move very quickly and efficiently; they are tasked to pack tightly and carefully; and their goal is to pack each carton to capacity without either over packing it (making it too heavy) or under packing it (more paper than needed). They have been trained to meet high industry standards and, in most cases, can make packing look easier than it is. When packers enter your home, they will walk with you and listen to any concerns you may have for special care items. Once they have a good understanding of what needs to be done, they will move to pack your home quickly.

Here are some common questions about the process:

What will they do?
The first step is to protect your home. They will normally start by protecting your floors. Next they will bring packing material, cartons, tape and paper inside your home. They then will most often split into different rooms of your home. One person may work in your kitchen while another may begin in one of your bedrooms. The packers will not mark individual items on the cartons; they will only identify the room of the house the carton comes from. If you want to notate items on a carton for your own convenience, that’s something you’ll need to do. At the end of a full day, two professional packers should be able to effectively pack between 100-150 cartons.

Will my things be damaged?
Good packers have been trained to wrap and protect items by specific placement inside a box or carton. This does not mean that items are never broken, as many different circumstances can influence whether or not something ends up breaking, but damage is much less common when using a professional packer than when you pack yourself.

How do they pack so fast?
Packers do not have any sentimental attachment like you do to your items, so they are able to function in their roles much like a robot – very systematically. Emotions, memories and decisions on what goes and what stays is not something that concerns them so they can effectively complete their job in a much shorter period of time. It will be important that you have a clear idea of what is going and what is not going prior to packing day because, if not, it becomes virtually impossible for packers to adjust and it becomes a costly process to you if you are changing your mind on what to take and what to leave behind while packers are working in your home.

Do I need really need to be there while packers are packing?
Simply, yes. You do need to be present for your packing. You should also make sure that children and pets are not in or around the packers as this can slow the job and create unsafe distractions. There are also often parts and pieces that will be lying loose while in the process of disassembly and packing. This could be considered hazardous to the safety of children and pets, so it’s best to make sure they’re occupied somewhere else.

How do they know what to pack and what to leave?
It is important to understand that packers will never try to determine what is trash or which items that should not be packed. They will enter your home and pack it as they find it. It’s best, then, that you are ready for their arrival by ensuring that all trash, newspapers, magazines and items for Goodwill that you do not want to move have been removed from your home prior to the day of service. You’ll also want to make sure your laundry is clean and removed from the washer and dryer, and that your dishwasher is empty. Remember, packers pack what they see throughout the home so packers will not check the washer, dryer or dishwasher. Lastly, If you intend to take any items with you personally, set aside a room or closet for those items and label that room as “do not pack” or “going with us.”

How do they fill every box?
There may be times when your packers have completed the packing in a room they are working in and will not have filled the carton. In this case, they will continue to place articles from another location into that carton to properly fill the carton to capacity. This is standard and customary, and helps to prevent damage to items inside the box. You may notice this when you are unpacking your items at your final destination, so just know that it’s all part of the process.

Who determines when everything is done and packed?
At the end of the day, it is your responsibility to ensure that everything that needs packed has been packed prior to releasing the packing team. In order to do this, you should walk through your home with your team lead and open all cupboards, cabinets, closets and drawers. Look at all shelves in the pantry and closets. Once your packing team has left, any unpacked items are then your responsibility to prepare prior to the driver’s arrival. If you ask your driver to pack items, he or she will normally require payment for it; these are services that are normally considered to be above what was quoted for your packing team.

Will I like it?
If you are prepared properly, you’ll love the experience. How great is it to not have to pack before you move? Simply put, it’s awesome! In order to maximize the stress-reduction effect, though, it requires your advance preparation because it may not happen exactly like you thought it might. Any moving company wants you to be ready for their arrival and you should feel free to communicate openly with your moving consultant and/or relocation coordinator with any questions throughout the process so they can help you make the most of your upcoming move.

Lastly, and just to help make each packing job the best it can be, here are some pro tips:

You may want to label the bedrooms with children’s names or other names that mean something to you so that the packer will know the name to place on cartons packed into that room.
Consider having some zipper bags available for screws, nuts and bolts needed for any items that are disassembled. Packers will normally provide a box for parts, so aside from the nuts and bolts from disassembled articles, this carton is a good place to put all remote controls and a cordless telephone so that you will know where to find them when the driver delivers your shipment.
If you have items that are of special significance to you, address those items with your moving consultant and your team leader upon their arrival so they can be prepared to handle them with special care.
Be prepared to identify items that cannot be packed and remove them from your home prior to packing day. Examples include fingernail polish remover and liquid cleaners. Your moving consultant and/or your coordinator will review this complete list with you. Should you have any questions they can address them with you in advance of packing day.
Nancy Blegen is an experienced customer service manager for Bailey’s Moving and Storage, which serves customers looking to move to or from Utah and Colorado.

What To Watch Out For During Summer Moves

Summer offers lots of daylight and warm temperatures that can make moves easier, but there are a few season-specific hazards to watch out for on moving day as well.

Bad weather can rear its ugly head, so make sure to have a lightweight raincoat or poncho on hand, as well as some extra towels. Summer is also a perfect time to carry invasive species from one area of the country to another, so carefully inspect belongings to make sure you aren't bringing any unwanted guests. Finally, have loose breathable clothes and lots of water on hand in case moving day is especially hot.

To make your summer move a success no matter the conditions on the big day, speak to the experts at Atlas.

Palletizing Boxes and Crating Machinery

For packing, sometimes you need to move more than you were expecting. If you are, say, a small ice cream shop, you might start thinking about how you would move all of your machinery to and from your new location. A scientist, perhaps – then who is going to Pack and Crate your telescopes in the most safe and attentive fashion?  The owner of an arcade paradise – then who’s gonna play the game of crating and shipping your cabinets? These clients and more have worked with Packing Service, Inc. ever since 2003.  Crating Machinery big and small, we are go-getters in the moving industry that will get you in and out in no time. From Palletizing Boxes to packing furniture for shipping, we got you covered. Whatever you think of, we can probably ship it with a Flat Rate Quote to boot. We are Crating Machinery based on the item’s weight and height. If you decide to work with us, you’ll definitely hear that question a lot, along with how much of it will you pack and when you need it. We want to work on your schedule, deciding how expeditious the Pack and Crate process must be for your earliest convenience. We pack china, furniture, kitchens, and are palletizing boxes, machinery and more for both domestic and international shipping. When you work with Packing Service Inc, we make sure that you are getting the best moving experience around. Life can be pretty hectic, and things go awry all the time. Let us work with you to practice the best methods of Crating Machinery with expert packers and movers at your front door working how you want them to. Why not Pack and Crate with the best? We are palletizing boxes and equipment for all of our awesome customers, ensuring our 97% Customer Satisfaction Rating. The sky’s the limit for your next move. Don’t be bound by companies only working in your country or city. Packing Service, Inc. is the go-to when it comes to Pack and Crate. We are palletizing machinery for a flat rate quote, and all we need is your information and more to get started.